Russell, Kansas

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Coordinates: 38°53′23″N 98°51′26″W / 38.88972, -98.85722
Russell, Kansas
Location of Russell, Kansas
Country	United States
State	Kansas
County	Russell
Area
- Total	4.9 sq mi (12.7 km²)
- Land	4.9 sq mi (12.7 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	1,824 ft (556 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	4,696
- Density	956.9/sq mi (369.5/km²)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	67665
Area code(s)	785
FIPS code	20-61825^[1]
GNIS feature ID	0475222^[2]

Russell is a city in Russell County, Kansas, United States. The population was 4,696 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Russell County^[3].

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Climate
4 Notable Natives
5 Education
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Geography

Russell is located at 38°53′23″N, 98°51′26″W (38.889807, -98.857113)^[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 4,696 people, 2,057 households, and 1,250 families residing in the city. The population density was 956.9 people per square mile (369.3/km²). There were 2,436 housing units at an average density of 496.4/sq mi (191.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.13% White, 0.96% African American, 0.57% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.

There were 2,057 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,217, and the median income for a family was $37,813. Males had a median income of $25,109 versus $17,757 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,690. About 11.3% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Climate

Russell has four distinct seasons, and temperatures often range into the teens below zero F. in the winter to 110 °F. in the summer. The city is located on the eastern edge of Kansas's semi-arid steppe climate, and precipitation is sometimes scarce. Russell generally receives less snowfall in the winter than areas to the west or east, since the area is far enough removed from the Rocky Mountains and the flow of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

[edit] Notable Natives

Russell received national attention and was typecast as an all-American town pursuant to Bob Dole's failed 1996 presidential bid as a Republican. Dole, originally from Russell, was shown getting a haircut and eating at a local cafe to emphasize his hometown roots. Dole's house still stands at 1035 N. Maple St. in Russell.
Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter was born to immigrant parents in Wichita, Kansas, and grew up in Russell, Kansas. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal
The father of billionaire Philip Anschutz also grew up in Russell where he founded Farmer's State Bank. Anschutz himself grew up in neighboring Hays, Kansas.
The 1968 winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee was Robert L. Walters of Russell, sponsored by the Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, Kansas. The winning word was "abalone".
Geoscientist David Hewitt Miller (1918–2006), an expert on snow and on ecosystem hydrodynamics, was born in Russell.

[edit] Education

Russell is the base of operations of Unified School District 407, which services all of Russell County except for the far northwestern portion and parts of the town of Dorrance.

The city of Russell has four schools: Simpson Elementary School (Grades K–2), Bickerdyke Elementary School (3–5), Ruppenthal Middle School (6–8) and Russell High School (9–12). The building housing Ruppenthal Middle School was built in 1938 as Russell High School and became the middle school building in the fall of 1961, when Russell High moved to a new complex at 565 E. State St., just east of U.S. 281. Both the Simpson and Bickerdyke buildings opened in the fall of 1952.

The Russell High School (RHS) Broncos sponsor seven sports for boys (football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, wrestling, and track and field) and six for girls (volleyball, basketball, fast-pitch softball, golf, tennis, and track and field). The RHS boys' basketball team won state championships in 1949, 1952, 1953, 1956, and 1963 under legendary coach Amos Morris, who is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame. The gymnasium at RHS is named for Morris. The school added another boys' basketball state title in 1979, and that fall, the RHS football team reached the finals of the Class 4A state playoffs, losing to Maur Hill Mount Academy of Atchison.

From the 1940s through the early 1970s, Russell's biggest rivalries were with the public high schools in Hays, Hoisington, and Great Bend, and Thomas More Prep-Marian, the Roman Catholic high school in Hays. In 1972, the West Central Kansas League was split, with the larger schools in Hays and Great Bend forming what is now the Western Athletic Conference, and the smaller schools forming the Mid-State Activities Association. Russell currently competes in the North Central Activities Association.

Shaffer Field, home to the RHS football team, hosted the KSHSAA 8-man football state championships in 1983–1989 and again in 2002–2005.